Cash Transfer: Akwa Ibom Assembly Summons Commissioner, ALGON Boss

The Akwa Ibom House of Assembly has summoned the state Commissioner for Economic Development, Mr Emem Bob, and the Chairman of Association of Local Government of Nigeria in the state, Iniobong Robson, to explain the modalities used to arrive at the 1,072 nominees for the Federal Government’s conditional grant for businesses.

This was a sequel to a motion brought before the House at plenary on Thursday by the member representing Eket, Dr Nsidibe Akata, who queried the criteria used in arriving at the beneficiaries.

The lawmaker informed the House of Petitions, that he had received across the state, noting that the Federal government had disbursed N50 billion to 774 local government areas in the country, as part of its programmes aimed at alleviating the effects of fuel subsidy removal.

He expressed surprise that such was not the case in Akwa Ibom, and wondered how the Ministry of Economic Development arrived at the nominees’ list.

The Speaker, Mr Udeme Otong, observed with dismay that petitions from over 90 per cent of communities across the 31 LGAs had trailed the way and manner the commissioner was handling the disbursement of the fund.